Campaigners dressed up as superheroes in a bid to raise awareness of Government plans to cut free legal aid.

Representatives from Wiltshire Citizens Advice, solicitors and the GMB union brought their campaign against the cuts to Trowbridge County Court on Friday when they dressed up as fictional characters.

Leading the campaigners was Sarah Cardy, chief executive of Wiltshire Citizens Advice, dressed as Lady Justice, the figure seen on the building of the Royal Courts of Justice in London.

Mrs Cardy said: “This is a potentially very serious issue which could affect a lot of people in Wiltshire and we wanted to bring it to their attention.

“People who seek debt, benefits, or housing advice will often find they need help through legal advice on how to appeal decisions that may have been made about their case and they may not be able to do this any more under these new plans. That could mean them having to fork out their own solicitor costs which could prove impossible for many.

“It is a complex area but one we are very concerned about. We have a lot of skilled people at Citizens Advice who provide a lot of crucial advice to Wiltshire people and it is very difficult to see what could replace that if these cuts are made.”

The campaigners are part of a nationwide coalition of concerned organisations, such as Citizens Advice, solicitors and law centres, who have formed a special group called Justice For All. The group encouraged members up and down the country to dress up to get their point across.

In Trowbridge, other characters among the 15 protestors included Captain Debtbuster, Welfare Wonderwoman, and Housing Hero.

They are arguing that rather than cutting the remit of the £2bn legal aid bill it is better to target the £120m administrative costs associated with providing such aid.

A decision by the Government’s justice secretary Kenneth Clarke is expected in the coming weeks.

For more information on the Government’s proposals visit www.justice-for-all.org.uk.